AB1550-HPR CORRELATIONS BETWEEN PAIN AND EMOTIONAL STATUS IN PATIENTS WITH FIBROMYALGIA
Authors: R. Grekhoff
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Objectives The aim of the study was to investigate the correlations between pain syndrome and psychological status of patients with fibromyalgia (F). Methods The group we investigated consisted of 100 people. All patients were women of 43.85±0.79 years old in average. The diagnosis was made in accordance with the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia (ACR, 2010) [1]. The intensity of the pain syndrome was ranked using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and expressed in points: 0-3 points - the absence or slight severity of muscle pain, 4-7 points – moderate, and more than 7 points - intense, almost constant muscle pain. The average pain syndrome was 7.2±0.16 points, diagnostic pain points - 14.27±0.25 points. The psychological status was studied using standardized psychodiagnostics methods adapted in the laboratory of clinical psychology of the St. Petersburg Bekhterev’s PsychoNeurological Institute: “Type of attitude towards the disease” - “TOBOL” (Wasserman L.I., et al., 2005) [2]; questionnaire “Life Style Index” - “LSI” (Wasserman L.I., et al., 2005) [3]; method of formalized assessment of neurotic manifestations “NL” (Wasserman L.I., et al., 1999) [4]. Results According to the severity of pain in the muscles, patients with F were divided into two groups: 1 st group (57 people) - intensity of muscle pain = 0-7 points and 2 nd group (43 people) - intensity of muscle pain = 8-10 points. The study of the correlations between the intensity of muscle pain and the types of personal response to the disease, the intensity of psychological defenses showed that F patients from 1 st group were characterized by a significant formation of an ergopathic type of attitude towards the disease and intense use of the psychological defense “Intellectualization” (p&lt;0.05). Patients of 2 nd group had neurasthenic, sensitive and egocentric types of attitudes to the disease, intense use of psychological defenses such as “Repression” and “Regression”, and the decrease in the tension of using the “Intellectualization” (p&lt;0.05). It was also noted that in 1 st group of F patients, there was already a significantly significant clinical increase in such neurotic traits as depression (6.17±0.16 points), asthenia (6.37±0.21 points) and, especially, anxiety (8 .16±0.69 points) (p&lt;0.05). With an increase in the intensity of muscle pain up to 8-10 points (2 nd group), indicators on the scales of depression (7.3±0.20 points), asthenia (7.29±0.20 points) and hypochondria (6.16±0.30 points) significantly increased (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Thus, the increase in pain sensations in patients with F leads to the formation of maladaptive variants of attitudes towards the disease (neurasthenic, sensitive and egocentric); accompanied by a significant increase in asthenic and depressive tendencies; as well as a limited range of use of less mature and adaptive defenses mechanisms (“Repression” and “Regression”), which may indicate the maladaptive nature of the personality’s attempts to cope with the disease The data obtained can be useful and taken into account in the development of individual tactics of treatment and rehabilitation measures in order to improve the quality of the treatment. References [1]Galvez-Sánchez C.M., del Paso G.A.R. Diagnostic Criteria for Fibromyalgia: Critical Review and Future Perspectives J Clin Med. 2020 Apr; 9(4): 1219. doi: 10.3390/jcm9041219 [2]Wasserman L.I., Iovlev B.V., Karpova E.B., Vuks A.Y., Psicholo Wasserman L.I., Iovlev B.V., Karpova E.B., Vuks A.Ya. Psychological diagnostics of attitude to the disease: Manual for doctors. St. Petersburg, 2005. 33 P. [3]Wasserman L.I., Eryshev O.F., Klubova E.B., et al. Psychological diagnostics of the life style index: A manual for psychologists and doctors. St. Petersburg, 2005. 54 P. [4]Wasserman L.I., Iovlev B.V., Karpova E.B., Vuks A.Ya. Scale for psychological express diagnosis of the level of neuroticism (NL). St. Petersburg, 1999. 29 P. Disclosure of Interests None declared